Whiplash reigns supreme at Penn State’s Homecoming Dance Competition

Whiplash Dance Team took home the title of the 2017 Overall Winner of the Homecoming Dance Competition on Nov. 5 in Alumni Hall. The competition was hosted by Penn State’s Student Programming Association (SPA) and Penn State Homecoming, and it officially kicked off this week’s Homecoming events.

Usually, the annual Homecoming Dance Competition takes place at the Pollock Party, but this year students gathered in the HUB-Robeson Center to watch the competition unfold. Six different dance teams battled each other for the chance to perform in the For The Glory Talent Show. Urban Dance Troupe, Tapestry, Penn State Lyrical Line, Whiplash, and REVE showcased different genres of dance such as tap, jazz, and hip hop. Each team “embraced their inner lion” and had crowds of students surrounding the stage to watch their riveting performances.

At the end of the competition the top three groups were awarded. Student leaders at Penn State were the judges of the competition, and awarded Urban Dance Troupe with Best Choreography and gave Most For the Glory to Ambitions.

After winning the 2017 Overall Winner of the Homecoming Dance Competition, Anna D’Alleva, president of Whiplash, shared her initial reaction to winning this award.

“I was so excited and proud when we won the competition,” D’Alleva said. “The team has been working so hard throughout the semester, and whether it has been at our early morning weekend practices or our practices that run until midnight throughout the school week, each team member has been fully committed and putting in an extraordinary amount of time and effort.”

D’Alleva said she is proud to be a part of a hardworking team that also makes the dance experience fun. Although it’s her senior year, she said Whiplash has some exciting things in store.

The For The Glory Talent Show is on Nov. 7 at 7 p.m. in the Eisenhower Auditorium. The top three performers from the talent show will have the opportunity to perform at THON 2018 in February.